Out of the classroom and learning from real life

From: Brian Hanwell, The Lodge, Tideswell, Derbyshire.

THE excellent article “Lessons we can learn from our children’s schooling” by Jayne Dowle (Yorkshire Post, February 7) reminded me of my own experiences when I was a young teacher.

My teaching career began in 1951 and my first post was at a junior school on a council estate in Sheffield. As a young newly-qualified teacher and an ex-National Service man, I suppose I was rather arrogant because I firmly believed that I had the right to determine what kind of curriculum was appropriate to the needs of my class of 10-year-olds.

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Within a week I discovered that my pupils – all 30 of them – had learnt virtually nothing during their five years of schooling.

Furthermore, they looked pale, unfit and not very happy! I decided to ditch the traditional subject-based timetable and curriculum and take the children out as much as possible.

Every week we spent several days exploring our environment – walking round parks, markets, museums and streets, looking at anything that caught our attention and having as much fun as possible.

We also did a lot of creative drama and dancing – but that’s another story!

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On the days when we were in school, we devoted our time to talking and striving to read and write about our trips and activities.

Quite often, on Sundays we all met in Fitzalan Square in the city centre (the parents never failed to bring their children!) We caught buses or trains and went out into the Peak District to walk and to explore all the places I had got to know well when I was a boy.

Fortunately, the buses were mostly empty, so the 30 of us always managed to get on.

At the end of the school year my pupils were well on the way to being literate and had learnt a great deal from being actively engaged in exploring their environment.

They were also fit, well-adjusted, confident, self-disciplined and happy.